Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Bees

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bee hives are sited on land owned by his Department.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There are two bee hives sited on land owned by the Department.

Home Office

Drugs: Misuse

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on reducing Class A drug use among young people.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what effect recent findings of the Crime Survey for England and Wales on ecstasy use among 16 to 24 years olds will have on her Department's drugs policy; and what steps she is taking to reduce ecstasy use among young people

Mike Penning: There has been a long term downward trend in overall drug use over the last decade including among young people aged 11-15 and young adults aged 16-24. However, we continue to be concerned about the harms caused by drug misuse, including ecstasy and other Class A drugs, which is why they are illegal.The UK’s approach on drugs remains clear: we must prevent drug use in our communities, help dependent individuals recover, while ensuring our drugs laws are enforced. We have recently refreshed our approach to reducing the demand for drugs which includes investing in a range of evidence-based programmes, which have a positive impact on young people and adults, giving them the confidence, resilience and risk management skills to resist drug use.For example: • we have launched a new online resilience building resource, ‘Rise Above’, aimed at 11- to 16-year-olds, which provides tools to help develop skills to make positive choices for their health, including avoiding drug use;• we have developed evidence-based online tools for educators and commissioners including the Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS) which provides practical advice and tools based on the best international evidence, including briefing sheets for teachers; and• Public Health England has developed its role in supporting local areas: sharing evidence to support commissioning and the delivery of effective public health prevention activities; and launching toolkits to support local areas’ responses on specific issues around new psychoactive substances and other drug groups.

Police: Throw Ropes

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has published for police services on carrying throw ropes in police vehicles.

Mike Penning: The Home Office has issued no guidance to the police on carrying throw ropes in police vehicles.

Firearms: Greater London

James Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests in connection with firearms there were in (a) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and (b) London in the last three years; and how many such arrests resulted in convictions for which a prison sentence of five years or more was imposed.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of people arrested in connection with firearms. For offences that may or may not involve a firearm (such as robbery) we cannot separately identify those that involved a firearm from those that did not. As a result, we cannot provide numbers of arrests made in connection with firearms. In addition, specific arrests made by the police cannot be linked to convictions and sentences given in court. As a result, we would be unable to say how many of those arrests led to a sentence of five years or more.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Economic and Monetary Union

Marcus Fysh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts to ensure that economic instability in parts of the Eurozone does not have a detrimental effect on the defence-industrial relationship between the UK and (a) Italy and (b) other EU member states.

Mr David Lidington: The UK has a long tradition of collaborative working with European partners on joint defence programmes and maintains regular dialogue with European Union member states, including Italy, to discuss existing and future cooperative programmes. All EU nations are subject to EU procurement directives, which helps maintain a culture of open, transparent and fair competition on public procurement projects. Open competitive markets and more efficient cross-border cooperation are key methods of sustaining our defence industrial capabilities against a backdrop of wider economic instability.The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for defence industrial relations and, as such, has engaged in detail on these specific areas. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon.Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge and I also regularly discuss defence industry matters with European partners, most recently at the May 2015 Foreign Affairs Council, as part of wider defence discussions held at the June 2015 European Council. Our aim is to encourage a globally competitive European defence industry that delivers the capabilities our armed forces need at best value for money, whilst responding to an increasingly diverse range of threats and supporting wider economic growth.

EU Law

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which pieces of EU legislation adopted in each of the last five years met the conditions to be subject to qualified majority voting in the Council of the EU or the European Council.

Mr David Lidington: The information requested is publicly available on the website of the Council of Ministers where the voting rules for each piece of legislation can be found. This includes the legislation, the voting rules and how Member States voted. These records go back to 1999.

EU Reform

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the Conclusions of the European Council of 25 and 26 June 2015 paragraph 14 relating to the UK's EU renegotiation programme, what technical work the Council plans to undertake before it reports back in December; what the (a) composition and (b) mandate of the working group is; and whether it is planned that national parliaments will be able to contribute to the work of that group.

Mr David Lidington: Following agreement at the June European Council, discussions on the UK's renegotiation have begun. These discussions should be led by substance, not schedule, and we expect the technical discussions to take several months. The Government will keep Parliament informed.

EU Reform

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about amending article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to ensure that it cannot be used as a legal basis for Eurozone bailouts.

Mr David Lidington: As part of our wider discussions on reform, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon.Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and I have raised our concerns over economic governance with our counterparts, including the need to ensure that countries outside the Eurozone are not held liable for issues within it.

Human Rights Advisory Group

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to convene his Human Rights Advisory Group.

Mr David Lidington: The Minister of state, my noble Friend, the right hon.Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE wrote to the Human Rights Advisory Group on 29 July 2015, informing them that the next meeting of the group with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge, would take place on 15 October 2015.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Nigeria: Export Controls

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the non-diversion of controlled goods to Nigeria.

Anna Soubry: All export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, including the risk of diversion to undesirable end-users or undesirable end-use. A licence will not be granted unless the tests in the criteria are met. The risk of diversion is an important factor in deciding whether or not to grant an export licence and the assessment takes full account of the conditions prevailing in the destination and region.

Arms Trade: Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what licences have been issued to (a) Instro Precision, (b) Ferranti Technologies and (c) Elite KL for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel's security forces on what dates since 1 January 2010; and what the date of each such licence was.

Anna Soubry: Six Standard Individual Export Licences for military goods have been granted to the named companies for ultimate end-use by the Israeli Defence Forces since 1 January 2010. I am unable to disclose more specific details as to do so might reveal commercially sensitive information. All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Working Hours: EU Law

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to the British economy of the EU Working Time Directive in the most recent year for which data is available.

Nick Boles: The Balance of Competence Review, published in July 2014, said that costs would dramatically rise if the flexibility afforded by the individual opt-out were no longer available. Respondents to the Balance of Competence Review’s Call for Evidence felt that the ECJ judgments surrounding on-call working, accrual and carry-over of annual leave as well as payment for annual leave posed further significant costs.

Employment Regulations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Employment Regulations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010.

Nick Boles: The effectiveness of these regulations has not recently been assessed as we have, to date, seen no evidence of this practice recurring.However, the Information Commissioner’s Office is currently investigating some allegations of blacklisting. The Government will be paying close attention to the outcome of these investigations.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of February 2015 to Question 222681, what licences have been issued since 1 January 2010 to UAV Engines Ltd for equipment other than UAV engines or components for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel's security forces; and on what date each such licence was issued.

Anna Soubry: No licences have been granted to UAV Engines for equipment other than UAV engines or components for exports for the use of the Israeli Defence Force or other elements of Israel’s security forces since 1 January 2010.All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Sunday Trading

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will allow a free vote on any division in the House on the Government's proposed changes to Sunday trading regulations.

Nick Boles: Whipping is a matter for individual political parties and not a matter that the Government can comment on.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in England and Wales are serving imprisonment for public protection sentences.

Andrew Selous: This information is published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication, and is available in Table 1.9 at the link below.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449240/prison-population-apr-jun-2015.xlsx

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of juveniles who reoffend within a year of their release from custody.

Andrew Selous: Statistics on juvenile re-offending are published in the Proven Re-offending Statistics, which is released quarterly. The most recent statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-quarterly-october-2012-to-september-2013. We are working hard to make sure young offenders have the skills and self-discipline they need to turn their lives around and stop offending.Crime is falling and fewer young people are entering the criminal justice system, but those who are need the right support. That is why we have taken steps to improve education and training for young people while in custody and on release. A proven re-offence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period that leads to a court conviction or caution in the one year follow-up or within a further six month waiting period to allow the offence to be proven in court.

Reparation by Offenders

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the cost benefits of restorative justice through projects run by the Restorative Justice Council.

Mike Penning: The Ministry of Justice is funding the Restorative Justice Council to develop and manage quality standards for delivery of restorative justice in the criminal justice system and to raise the profile of restorative justice so that victims can make an informed decision on whether to participate.Given that these projects are not providing direct restorative justice services, it is not possible to use them to assess the cost benefits of restorative justice.

Employment Tribunals Service

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of employment tribunal claims made since July 2013.

Caroline Dinenage: The total number of claims received by the Employment Tribunal in the financial year 2014-2015 was 68% lower than in the financial year 2012-2013, the last full year before the introduction of fees in July 2013. We are currently undertaking a review of the introduction of fees and will announce our findings later this year.

Prisons: Education

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve the provision of education in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: Increasing numbers of prisoners are engaged in learning but Ofsted Inspections confirm that one in five prisons has an inadequate standard of education provision and another two fifths require improvement. This is why I have asked Dame Sally Coates to chair a review of the quality of education in prisons.

Legal Aid Scheme

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that people eligible for legal aid are able to access such aid.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Government is committed to making sure that those eligible for legal aid have access to quality services. Legal aid is an important part of access to justice and our reforms mean a legally aided lawyer is still available for those who most need one and legal aid is affordable for the hard-working taxpayers who pay for it.

Public Defender Service

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the (a) cost effectiveness and (b) level of use of the Public Defender Service.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Public Defender Service (PDS) plays a vital role in ensuring access to justice for those eligible clients who are unable to secure representation. The PDS also support positive change within the Criminal Justice System, assists the Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency colleagues and acts as a test-bed for digital working. As such, the value of the PDS is made up of many factors, not just representation of defendants. Therefore no direct assessment of cost effectiveness or level of use has been made.

Ministry of Justice: Procurement

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent investigations into alleged misuse of public money by private providers that held contracts with his Department.

Mike Penning: Responding to three different Contract Management Reviews the department has embarked on a programme of work to improve and provide robust commercial capability, by;· Introducing a new operating model and governance processes overseen by an Executive Committee.· Improved reporting of contracts to monitor supplier performance, payments and risk.· Raising levels of commercial competence, knowledge and skills across all staff.These efforts will ensure that the department’s private suppliers are providing value for money at all stages of their delivery.

Church Commissioners

Churches: Blackburn

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which non-redundant Church of England churches in the Diocese of Blackburn (a) have and (b) do not have food bank collection points.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: The Diocese of Blackburn works closely with ‘Together Lancashire’, a church-linked social action network run by Church Urban Fund. According to ‘together Lancashire’ there are currently around 36 food banks in the diocese of Blackburn, of which 6 are Trussell Trust foodbanks (Blacburn, Fylde, Ribble Valley, Morecombe Bay, Skelmserdale and Ormskirk). These food banks handed out an estimated 35,000 food parcels in 2014.Nearly all these initiatives are church-led (though not necessarily Church of England) projects. A directory and map of food banks in Lancashire (including the unitary authorities of Blackpool and Blackburn & Darwen) is available at: http://www.cuf.org.uk/node/618257Separately, a Church in Action survey of Church of England clergy, which was published in January 2015, included a series of questions about church support for food banks. 1,812 church leaders took part in the survey. Of the 39 responses from Blackburn diocese:31 churches (80%) were involved in some way in supporting a local food bank6 offered church premises for the food bank11 were helping to manage a food bank14 were providing volunteers29 were collecting food

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lone parent families in Scotland have been affected by the benefit cap to date; and how many such families have (a) one child, (b) two and (c) three children under five.

Justin Tomlinson: Data on the number of households capped since April 2013 by region and family type can be found in Stat-Xplore, the Department’s online interactive tabulation tool, which can be accessed here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/opendatabase?id=Benefit_Cap_CumulativeInformation on the number of children aged under 5 is not available.

Welfare State: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to conduct an annual equalities impact assessment of the effect in Scotland of the welfare changes announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will undertake an annual review of the effect in Scotland of the welfare changes announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. This includes details of review of the policies. A link to the impact assessment on the www.parliament.uk website is included.http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html

Employment

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will adopt the definition of full employment used in the Europe 2020 strategy to define full employment in the UK.

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he plans to use to assess progress towards full employment.

Priti Patel: The full employment clause in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill places a duty on the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament detailing progress towards full employment. The first annual report will set out the interpretation of full employment. It would not be appropriate to use the Europe 2020 strategy as the basis for defining full employment, as the UK employment rate for those aged 20-64, which currently stands at 76.5%, has already exceeded the target recommended in that report.

Children: Poverty

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children experiencing material deprivation in each of the last 10 years.

Priti Patel: Estimates of the number and proportion of children in combined low income and material deprivation are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Figures for combined low income and material deprivation have been published in HBAI since 2004/05 and are available up to 2013/14. The latest publication is available at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-19941995-to-20132014

Children: Poverty

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to meet the four targets for eradicating child poverty as set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010.

Priti Patel: We know work is the best route out of poverty, and this Government is committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. We have repeatedly said that the Child Poverty Act does not address the root causes of poverty and focuses only on the symptoms. That is why we have set out proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which provide a new way to drive effective action and make a real difference in the lives of poor children – both now and in the future.

Unemployment

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who would remain unemployed when full employment is achieved under (a) the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment, (b) the definition of full employment set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, (c) the definition of full employment as the highest employment rate in the G7 and (d) the definition of full employment as the lowest rate of unemployment in the G7.

Priti Patel: The UK already has an employment rate above the aim set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. Estimates of the Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment have been made by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Estimates of the level of unemployment under other scenarios are not available as this depends on a variety of factors including the size of the population at the time that position is reached and how those not in work are split between unemployed and economically inactive.

Social Security Benefits

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question 6479, if he will make it his policy to collect such data in future.

Priti Patel: There are no plans to collate such information.

Social Security Benefits: Dyslexia

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to claimants with dyslexia who need additional assistance when completing forms and applications.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP is constantly seeking ways to improve services for people with Hidden Impairment (HI) conditions including Dyslexia. We recognise that, with appropriate reasonable adjustment support, many people with HI have the skills and talent to gain and keep employment. A claimant who has difficulty making their claim for benefit online because of dyslexia or a similar condition can call 0800 055 6688 and receive personal help. When such claimants need additional support to complete a job application, draft a CV or prepare for an interview, their Jobcentre Plus Work Coach can offer initial advice. Most Jobcentre Plus offices now have Claimant Computer Suites manned by Customer Service staff. These suites provide free internet access in Jobcentres to aid claimants in their job search activity and support them with the on-line claim process. Staff can use these facilities to help claimants to navigate around the internet and assist with job searches or on-line claims. If the individual requires further specialist support they could make an appointment with a Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Adviser (DEA), or their Work Coach can signpost them to local sources of specialist support, such as Work Clubs, third sector organisations or the National Careers Service.

Housing Benefit

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the gross value of all housing benefit payments was allocated to claimants in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the proportion of total Housing Benefit expenditure in Great Britain that was spent in England, Wales and Scotland over the last three years. Housing Benefit in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.   2012/132013/142014/15England88%89%89%Wales4%4%4%Scotland7%7%7%  Source: Local Authority subsidy returnsNotes:1. Figures are rounded to nearest 1%, and do not sum to 100% in 2012/13.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to reply to the letter to him dated 11 June 2015 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr R Koudsi.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr Iain Duncan Smith replied to the Rt. Hon. Member on 13 July 2015.

Housing Benefit: Copeland

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of 18 to 21 year olds in Copeland constituency that will no longer be entitled to housing benefit following measures announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. To prevent young people slipping straight into a life on benefits, from April 2017 the Government will remove the automatic entitlement to housing support for new claims in Universal Credit from 18-21 year olds who are out of work. This will ensure young people in the benefits system face the same choices as young people who work and who may not be able to afford to leave home. We will ensure that vulnerable young people who are in need of support for their housing needs continue to receive it. Government will consider the impact in line with our legal obligations as part of that process.

Social Security Benefits

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the publication of data on people who have died whilst waiting for a decision about a social security claim will be back-dated to the last available date of November 2011.

Priti Patel: The Department published out-of-work benefits mortality statistics on 27 August which cover the period from March 2003 to February 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortality-statistics-out-of-work-benefit-claimants-march-2003-to-february-2014 The Department also published additional mortality statistics for Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claimants on 27 August which cover the period from December 2011 to February 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortality-statistics-esa-ib-and-sda-claimants

Welfare Reform and Work Bill

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has undertaken or commissioned research into the potential effect on gender equality of the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.

Priti Patel: The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. A link to the impact assessment on the www.parliament.uk website is included. http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Dr Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish statistics on sanctions for job seekers allowance and employment support allowance by (a) council, (b) marital status, (c) gender, (d) people with children, (e) carers and (f) age.

Priti Patel: The available information for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions including by local authority, age, gender, and lone parent status, is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/:Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html Information on the number sanctions for those who are carers is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. There are no plans to produce sanction statistics by marital status.

Social Security Benefits

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is planning to appeal against the Information Commissioner's decision on the publication of data on people who have died while waiting for social security claims decisions.

Priti Patel: There is no such decision notice from the Information Commissioner.

Employment and Support Allowance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on whether employment and support allowance claimants who are unable to continue with a Work Related Activity Group for health reasons will be awarded their previous level of benefit or be reassessed.

Priti Patel: Claimants can request a reassessment if they feel that their condition has deteriorated.

Social Security Benefits: Mental Illness

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2015 to Question 3126, if he will make it his policy to record the number of claimants receiving benefits pertaining to a mental health condition who are assessed as fit to work based on an assessment wholly on their physical health.

Priti Patel: The Work Capability Assessment does not assess individuals only on their physical health, but also mental, cognitive and intellectual functions.

Social Security Benefits: Mental Illness

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to inform claimants what documentation of relevant mental health conditions they may be required to bring to confirm their capacity to work; and what steps he plans to take on that matter in the next three months.

Priti Patel: Following Dr Litchfield’s recommendation in the 4th independent review of the WCA, the ESA50 has been amended to make clear to claimants, especially those that have a mental health condition, ,that they should send any additional information they would like to be considered - for example, from their GP, Community Psychiatric Nurse, psychotherapist or social worker.

Children: Poverty

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what forecast his Department has made of the likelihood of fewer than five per cent of children living in material deprivation and low income by 2020-21.

Priti Patel: This Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances. We know work is the best route out of poverty, and this Government is committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. We have repeatedly said that the Child Poverty Act does not address the root causes of poverty and focuses only on the symptoms. That is why we have set out proposals in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill which provide a new way to drive effective action and make a real difference in the lives of poor children – both now and in the future.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15 June 2015 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton on Mr D Ward.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr Iain Duncan Smith replied to the Rt. Hon. Member on 23 July 2015.

Social Security Benefits

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time was a claimant with a DS1500 form had received (a) personal independence payment, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) attendance allowance on the last date for which figures are available.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming attendance allowance did so using a DS1500 form in 2014.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many DS1500 forms were submitted in 2014.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The DS1500 is not a claim form and its use in providing evidential support for claims from people who are terminally ill claiming benefit is not obligatory.

Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many terminally ill people were reassessed for (a) personal independence payment, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) attendance allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: Claimants are considered to be terminally ill if they have a progressive condition and the person’s death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 6 months. The latest information on the number of people who have been assessed as being terminally ill for Personal Independence Payment is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-april-2015Table 1 The latest information on the number of people who are in receipt of Attendance Allowance and who have been assessed as being terminally ill is available from the DWP Tabulation Tool, which is available here:http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html Information on Employment and Support Allowance and the outcomes of Work Capability Assessments: claims made to Sep 2014 and appeals to Mar 2015 is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-claims-made-to-sep-2014-and-appeals-to-mar-2015Tables: Employment and Support Allowance outcomes of Work Capability Assessments, Great BritainTable 5

Social Security Benefits: Self-employed

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what cases the minimum wage is assumed as income for self-employed claimants declaring income below that level for (a) universal credit, (b) tax credit and (c) housing benefit.

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the (a) minimum wage and (b) living wage are considered as an income for the purposes of a self-employed claimant declaring income below that level for (i) universal credit, (ii) working tax credit and (iii) housing benefit.

Priti Patel: Working Tax Credit is a matter for HMRC, but earnings are taken into account as income for all income-related benefits, subject to each benefit’s specific rules. For Universal Credit, which can include a Housing Costs element, a gainfully self-employed claimant may be subject to a Minimum Income Floor (MIF). The MIF is an assumed level of earnings designed to encourage claimants to develop their business, and calculated by multiplying the National Minimum Wage by the number of hours the claimant is expected to work. Where the claimant is within one year of starting out in self-employment, and is taking active steps to increase their earnings, they may be eligible for a one year start-up period during which the MIF is not applied. The new National Living Wage is not a factor at this stage.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Communities and Local Government: Bees

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bee hives are sited on land and buildings owned by local authorities in the North West of England.

George Eustice: We encourage all beekeepers to register the location of their hives on the National Bee Unit’s Beebase system. However it is not possible to provide an accurate figure for hives located on local authority land.

Animal Welfare: North West

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much each district and unitary council in the North West of England obtained in animal licensing fees in 2014.

George Eustice: This information is not held centrally and would be held by each local authority.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Bees

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many bee hives are sited on land owned by her Department.

George Eustice: There are bee hives on two Defra sites. There are two hives on the roof of Nobel House and 50 on the Defra site at Sand Hutton, 20 of which are used by the National Bee Unit. The hives at Sand Hutton are also used by Fera Science Ltd for research.

Nitrogen Dioxide: Death

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate her Department has made of the national annual mortality burden of nitrogen dioxide.

Rory Stewart: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) is currently considering how to quantify the association between long-term average concentrations of ambient nitrogen dioxide and mortality in the UK and intends to publish its views in due course.   A COMEAP working group has provided interim recommendations to Defra on methods for use in quantifying health benefits associated with reductions in nitrogen dioxide. We are considering these as part of the evidence base being used to develop the plans to bring the UK into compliance with EU limits for nitrogen dioxide.

Foxes

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the population size of foxes.

Rory Stewart: The last estimate of the fox population, published by the Mammal Society in 2004, indicated that the fox population in Great Britain was around 258,000.   Analysis based on a different methodology as part of the British Trust for Ornithology’s Breeding Bird Survey, which collects supplementary information on UK mammals, shows a statistically significant decline of 29% in the fox population between 1995 and 2014.

Avian Influenza

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to make changes to the compensation offered to farmers whose stock is affected by avian flu.

George Eustice: Defra is conducting a review of the compensation arrangements for animal keepers in the event of an exotic disease outbreak. The review, which was recommended by the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, is ongoing.

Dairy Farming: Codes of Practice

Calum Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to implement the Voluntary Code of Practice on Contractual Relations in the dairy industry for milk buyers.

George Eustice: The dairy industry code of best practice on contractual arrangements was created in Great Britain in 2012. About 85% of British milk is bound by the principles of the code. The code's introduction has led to some important improvements for milk producers. The last annual review of the code’s operation conducted by Alex Fergusson, MSP was broadly positive about its impact and recommended that it should retain its voluntary nature. Following the Environment Secretary’s meeting with the farming unions last month to discuss the current dairy troubles, an industry working group was asked to look urgently at best practice models on labelling, merchandising and sourcing for dairy. This group, independently facilitated by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board will submit proposals in the coming weeks based on industry views on changes that could be made at retail and in the supply chain.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Elections

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage young people to stand for local elections.

Mr Marcus Jones: Strong and effective democratic local governance requires the best possible candidate, irrespective of age, to stand for election. Whilst these issues are largely not matters for Government, we have provided support for improving graduate programmes for developing councillors and local leaders, and the Local Government Association will recruit at least 100 high calibre graduates in to local government in 2015-16.

HM Treasury

Enterprise Zones

Paula Sherriff: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.288 of the Summer Budget 2015, what process he plans for the establishment of new Enterprise Zones; and by when he plans to open the next bidding round for such zones.

Greg Hands: At Summer Budget the Chancellor announced the opening of the bidding round for a new wave of Enterprise Zones across England. This round will focus on ensuring that all places in England can benefit from the programme, and the government encourages towns and districts to work with their respective Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop bids. The application process is now open and Local Enterprise Partnerships have until the 18th September to submit their bids.

Enterprise Zones: Dewsbury

Paula Sherriff: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statement of 29 April 2015 to the Dewsbury Reporter, whether it is his policy to establish an Enterprise Zone for Dewsbury; and what targets he has set for the process of establishing such a zone to (a) commence and (b) be concluded.

Greg Hands: At Summer Budget we announced the opening of the bidding round for a new wave of Enterprise Zones across England. This round will focus on ensuring that all places in England can benefit from the programme, and the government encourages towns and districts including Dewsbury to work with their respective Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop bids. The application process is now open and Local Enterprise Partnerships have until the 18th September to submit their bids.

Pensions: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likely trends in the mis-selling of pension products in Scotland arising from the introduction of new pension flexibilities on 6 April 2015.

Harriett Baldwin: Monitoring the market for misselling is the responsibility of the regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Pensions Regulator. The FCA, in line with its remit to protect consumers and ensure markets function in consumers’ interests, has specifically committed to monitoring developments in the retirement income market closely and to take action where consumers are coming to harm or where the market is not operating competitively.   Alongside this the Treasury has launched a consultation looking at options to address excessive charges for early exit penalties, and making the process for transferring pensions from one scheme to another quicker and smoother.   The Government remains in close contact with the regulators, and other organisations such as industry trade bodies, on these issues.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Department for Energy and Climate Change: Bees

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many bee hives are sited on land owned by her Department.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not have any bee hives.

Energy: Meters

Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the total cost of smart meters being delivered to (a) 100 per cent of customers and (b) 80 per cent of customers by 2020.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government’s policy is to make the benefits of smart meters available to all consumers so they can take control of their energy consumption, make better informed decisions on their energy supplier and switch more easily. With a lower target energy suppliers could choose to target the rollout at consumers who were the easiest to service, potentially excluding important groups from the benefits of smart metering.The Government’s Smart Metering Impact Assessment projects a strong case for a near universal rollout. It estimates a net present value benefit of around £6 billion over the period to 2030, with total benefits of around £17 billion and costs of around £11 billion.Changes in the rollout target would affect both costs and benefits and our provisional estimate is that an 80% rollout target would reduce the net present value by around £2 billion. This reflects that the fixed costs of the smart metering system would be shared across a smaller number of consumers, that there would be additional operational costs for energy suppliers running two metering systems at scale, in particular from needing to continue to manually read basic meters, and that certain network benefits would not be achieved where these require a comprehensive deployment of meters.

Energy: Meters

Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that the smart meter programme will not exceed the projected costs set out in her Department's impact assessment published in January 2014.

Andrea Leadsom: The smart meters programme is designed within the legal framework for the GB energy market. This is based on energy companies competing against each other to supply energy to consumers.The Government is requiring all energy suppliers through their licence conditions to deliver smart metering. The energy companies have strong commercial incentives to do this as efficiently as possible, all along their supply chain.Ofgem is responsible for regulating the energy market and is able to intervene where suppliers do not meet their licence conditions. In addition, the Data and Communications Company is regulated by Ofgem to ensure that its services are provided in an economic and efficient manner.The Government is monitoring progress by all parties on whom the smart metering roll-out depends, to ensure benefits to consumers are delivered.There is a strong business case for rolling out smart meters. The total cost of this national infrastructure programme needs to be looked at in the context of its overall net benefits, expected to be around £6 billion.

Energy: Meters

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the reason is for the difference between the estimated cost of the Smart Metering Implementation Programme of £10.9 billion included in her Department's Third Annual Report on the roll-out of Smart Meters, December 2014 and the whole life costs of £19.25 billion included in the Major Project Authority's Portfolio data for her Department of June 2015.

Andrea Leadsom: The Annual Report on the roll-out of Smart Meters and the Major Project Authority’s report use the same underlying data, taken from the Programme’s Impact Assessment:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meter-roll-out-for-the-domestic-and-small-and-medium-non-domestic-sectors-gb-impact-assessment.The difference between the estimated costs is due to the two reports using different methodologies to present the same cost information of the Programme.The Annual Report on the roll-out of Smart Meters expresses information in real prices and present values. This follows Treasury guidance for policy appraisal and is aimed at providing future cost and benefit information in a way that is most meaningful for decision making.The cost figures in the Major Project Authority’s report are expressed in nominal terms and are not discounted to present value terms. This is aimed at achieving comparability across Government projects but can result in different figures between Impact Assessments and the data reported by the Major Project Authority.

Energy: Meters

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will review the effects to date of the use of smart meters; and if she will estimate how much consumers reduce gas and electricity usage once a smart meter has been installed.

Andrea Leadsom: Our central estimate of energy savings to domestic consumers as a result of smart metering is 2.8% for electricity every year in comparison to what consumption would have been in that year without smart meters (prepayment and credit) and 2% for gas (credit) and 0.5% for gas (prepayment). The energy savings assumptions are conservative in comparison to international evidence.In March 2015 DECC published research on the effects of the early rollout of smart meters – The Early Learning Project:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-metering-early-learning-project-and-small-scale-behaviour-trials.The Early Learning Projects findings around levels of energy consumption reduction are that DECC’s steady-state projections for the main roll-out fall within the confidence intervals of the energy consumption reductions observed in the research for both gas and electricity. However evidence suggests that larger energy savings are achievable; it is realistic to expect durable energy savings of 3 per cent provided engagement is effective, and larger savings are feasible in the future.

Renewable Energy: Greater London

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many accredited renewable energy generators operate in (a) Hampstead and Kilburn and (b) London in each of the last four years; and how many Renewables Levy Exemption Certification Ofgem issued in those areas in those years.

Andrea Leadsom: The information requested is set out below. The data has been sorted by postcode. For Hampstead and Kilburn we have used the following postcodes: N8, NW10, NW2, NW3, NW6, NW8, W19 and W9. Feed-in Tariffs (FIT)The number of installations that applied for FIT accreditationGenerating station location2011/122012/132013/142014/15Hampstead and Kilburn285504639London7,5372,0242,6692,148 A full report is available at:https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/feed-tariff-fit-scheme/feed-tariff-reports/installation-reports. Renewables Obligations (RO)The number of installations accredited under the RO from their effective dateGenerating station location2011/122012/132013/142014/15Hampstead and Kilburn0000London0314 Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs)LECs issued by yearGenerating station location2011/122012/132013/142014/15Hampstead and Kilburn7688Total London1,179,9593,459,0692,328,790593,123LECs are issued for stations in the Climate Change Levy (CCL) scheme. Due to the amount of data we can only sort by postcode area. Therefore this data may include some areas outside London where Greater London borough postcodes cross into the surrounding counties.

Department of Health

General Practitioners: Income

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2015 to Question 2842, what the average yearly earnings were of GPs employed directly by the NHS in (a) England and (b) London in each of the last 10 years.

Alistair Burt: This information is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Finance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2015 to Question 2847, what the total amount of funding was under the (a) global sum and (b) Minimum Practice Income Guarantee received by GP practices in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) the London Borough of Islington and (iv) Islington South and Finsbury constituency in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: Figures for England are shown in the following table:  2009/10(£000s)2010/11(£000s)2011/12(£000s)2012/13(£000s)2013/14(£000s)Global Sum1,737,5231,810,5521,825,7281,848,0561,989,437Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG)160,916121,103117,651116,164118,490Total Global Sum and MPIG1,898,4391,931,6551,943,6791,964,2202,107,927 Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre   Figures for London, the Borough of Islington and Islington South and Finsbury constituency are not available prior to 2013/14. Figures for 2014/15 are being audited and are not yet available. Information for 2013/14 is shown in the following table:  Global Sum(£ million)MPIG(£ million)Total Global Sum and MPIG(£ million)London23820.5258.5Borough of Islington14.51.415.9Islington South and Finsbury8.50.99.4  Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre

Social Services: Finance

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review the potential merits of raising the savings threshold for payment of social care from £23,500 to account for the wide spectrum of medical issues covered by social care.

Alistair Burt: The Government is in the process of considering the future funding of social care as part of the current spending review.

General Practitioners: Contracts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of GP practices in (a) England, (b) London, (c) the London Borough of Islington and (d) Islington South and Finsbury constituency are covered by (i) general medical services, (ii) personal medical services and (iii) alternative provider medical services contracts.

Alistair Burt: The total number of general practitioner contracts in England as of 30 September 2014, including those administered by a limited company, is shown in the following table:   Contract typeNumbersProportion (%)General Medical Services4,42856Personal Medical Services3,15740Alternative Provider Medical Services2904   Figures for London are shown in the following table: Contract typeNumbersProportion (%)General Medical Services63645Personal Medical Services65947Alternative Provider Medical Services1108   Figures for the Borough of Islington are shown in the following table: Contract typeNumbersProportion (%)General Medical Services3288Personal Medical Services26Alternative Provider Medical Services26   Figures for Islington South and Finsbury constituency are shown in the following table: Contract typeNumbersProportion (%)General Medical Services1794Personal Medical Services00Alternative Provider Medical Services16 Source for all tables: Health and Social Care Information Centre

Heart Diseases: North West

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what provision his Department plans to make under the Healthier Together reforms for patients in the North West of England with severe and complex cardiac disease who need tertiary cardiorespiratory services.

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what account was taken of the financial costs and workforce implications of maintaining high-risk general surgery at University Hospital South Manchester to support the provision of tertiary services for the purposes of the Decision Making Business Case under the Healthier Together programme; and whether those factors were included in the financial modelling for options 4.3 and 4.4 of that programme.

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons Quality and Safety was not included as a factor for deciding the fourth specialist hospital site proposed by Healthier Together.

Ben Gummer: The Government is clear the reconfiguration of front line health services is a matter for the local National Health Service.   Principles for service change are enshrined in the four reconfiguration tests set down to the NHS in 2010. All local reconfiguration plans should demonstrate: support from GP commissioners; strengthened public and patient engagements; clarity on the clinical evidence base; and support for patient choice.

Surgery

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what analysis his Department and NHS England have carried out to determine what standard of high-risk general surgery a site should be providing in order to be an appropriate site for carrying out (a) complex cardiac surgery and (b) other tertiary services.

Ben Gummer: The standards a site should be providing in order to be an appropriate site for carrying out complex cardiac surgery and other tertiary services are already set out by the professional bodies (Royal College of Surgeons, Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland) and NHS England Specialised Services service specifications.

Mortality Rates: Greater Manchester

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the hospital mortality rate was for each of the Greater Manchester acute hospital trusts in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: The data requested on hospital mortality rates is not available centrally.

NHS: Working Hours

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 July 2015, HCWS114, on NHS Remuneration: Doctors and Dentists, what his definition is of a seven day health service.

Ben Gummer: The Government is committed to ensuring that patients can get the same high quality of care seven days a week.   My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s statement of 16 July 2015, HCWS114, on NHS Remuneration: Doctors and Dentists discussed reforming the consultant contract in order to support seven day hospital services. A seven day hospital service would mean that, by 2020, all patients admitted to hospital at the weekend will get the urgent and emergency treatment they need; and those who are already receiving treatment and care will get it to the same high standards at weekends as during the week.

Hospitals: Consultants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 July 2015, HCWS114, on NHS Remuneration: Doctors and Dentists, by how much he expects the cost of hospital consultants' pay to increase in each year to 2020.

Alistair Burt: The pay of hospital consultants is subject to wider public sector pay policy and the distribution of any pay award within the National Health Service workforce. The summer budget committed to fund public sector workforces for a pay award of an average of 1% for four years from 2016-17 onwards.   Pay uplifts for most NHS staff are determined by the government and informed by recommendations of the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs). The Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ provides recommendations on consultants’ pay. The Department intends to seek the PRB’s recommendations on how to distribute the award within the NHS workforce, including to consultants.

Hospitals: Consultants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 July 2015, HCWS114, on NHS Remuneration: Doctors and Dentists, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to the consultant contract on the availability of routine hospital appointments on week days.

Alistair Burt: The intention of the proposed changes to the consultant contract, as referenced by the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 July 2015 (HCWS114), is to help ensure that patients with urgent needs receive the same high quality of care at weekends as they do on week days. This should not however be at the expense of the availability of routine hospital appointments.

Community Care: Working Hours

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to support local authorities in providing a full and comprehensive seven day social care service to support patients discharged from hospitals at weekends.

Alistair Burt: Local authorities currently operate adult social care services during normal working hours Monday to Friday, and cover the out of hours period with emergency duty teams. Duty Teams ensure that the local authority is able to fulfil its statutory duty to provide assessments including protection of vulnerable persons and urgent assistance and advice required by families and carers. However, the level of this provision is for each individual local authority to decide.   The NHS Services, Seven Days a Week Forum recognised the importance of timely and effective transfers of patients from hospital to community, primary and social care. Hospitals acknowledge this as best practice, and are keen to work with other health and social care partners to ensure that the next steps in the patient’s care pathway can be taken safely on every day of the week.

Department of Health: Lobbying

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on use of grant funding provided by his Department to third parties to lobby his Department.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 June 2015 to Question 2691

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his speech at Nelson Medical Practice, London, of 19 June 2015, entitled A New Deal for General Practice, how he plans to increase by 5,000 the number of GPs working in England.

Ben Gummer: In his speech of 19 June 2015, my Rt. Hon. friend the Secretary of State set out a range of steps that the Government will take to ensure an additional 5,000 doctors working in general practice by 2020.   In January 2015, Health Education England (HEE), alongside NHS England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee jointly published Building the Workforce – the new deal for general practice which set out an action plan to increase general practitioner (GP) numbers. This includes measures on recruitment to GP training:   - conducting a campaign this summer targeted at recruitment to GP training in the autumn; - scoping the use of an additional year of training post-award of the Certificate of Completion of Training for candidates seeking to work in geographies which historically have had difficulties recruiting trainees; - investing an extra £1 billion in new primary care infrastructure which will enable increased training capacity and a more positive experience for medical students and foundation year doctors within general practice; and - establishing a number of hubs/networks providing new education and training models for the whole workforce within community and primary care settings.   Alongside this, the Government’s mandate to HEE requires them to ensure that 3,250 trainee doctors enter GP training programmes by 2016. This will enable further increases in the GP workforce across England.   Building the Workforce also includes measures on retention and supporting GPs to return to practice. A copy of this is attached. 



Building the Workforce
(PDF Document, 237.63 KB)

Hospitals: Consultants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he had with the British Medical Association on proposed changes to the consultant contract prior to his King's Fund speech of 16 July 2015, entitled Making healthcare more human-centred and not system-centred.

Alistair Burt: Prior to 16 July 2015, Ministers and officials met with British Medical Association (BMA) officers and officials on several occasions in relation to the contract reform negotiations between NHS Employers and the BMA. The Department acted as an observer during those negotiations. This included exploratory discussions in the run up to and during the negotiations, with the formal negotiations running between October 2013 and October 2014. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State also discussed contract reform as part of an introductory meeting with BMA officers in the 2015 Parliament.

Cancer: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the availability of drugs to treat cancer.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what amount from the Cancer Drugs Fund is available to be spent by the Northern Ireland Executive in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

George Freeman: We have had no such discussions.   The Cancer Drugs Fund operates in England only and it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to make its own decisions on the commissioning and funding of cancer drugs based on its available resources and population needs.

NHS: Working Hours

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of additional (a) consultants, (b) nurses, (c) physiotherapists, (d) pharmacists, (e) pathologists, (f) phlebotomists, (g) radiographers, (h) porters, (i) receptionists, (j) administrators, (k) health care support workers and (l) discharge service staff who will be required to work in NHS hospitals in England in order to extend services to seven days a week.

Ben Gummer: It is for local commissioners and providers to decide how to organise their staff to deliver high quality care that meets patients’ emergency needs seven days of the week. Local providers will be supported in planning for seven day services by Health Education England through its Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs), which are responsible for the training and education of National Health Service staff, both clinical and non-clinical, within their area.   LETBs will work with local providers of services, including hospitals, to develop workforce and investment plans which will enable the services to be delivered by staff with the right skills and values.

Streptococcus: Screening

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the recent Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists audit which reported that more than half of all obstetric units tested some or all pregnant women for group B Streptococci using tests not designed specifically to detect group B Streptococci, what the Government's plans are to introduce Public Health England's recently updated UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations, B58 Detection of carriage of Group B Streptococci; and what the planned timescale is for that introduction.

Ben Gummer: Public Health England has advised the Department that the UK Standard for Microbiology Investigation (SMI) B58 Detection of Carriage of Group B Streptococci was published in June 2015 and is available at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/438182/B_58i3.pdf   SMIs are intended as a general resource for practising professionals operating in the field of laboratory medicine and infection specialties in the United Kingdom.   They represent neither minimum standards of practice nor the highest level of complex laboratory investigation possible, and are not mandatory. Laboratories can download and adapt the method into a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) based on local policies. SMIs help laboratories to meet accreditation requirements by promoting high quality practices which are auditable. UK microbiology laboratories that do not use SMIs should be able to demonstrate at least equivalence in their testing methodologies to the relevant accreditation body.   SMI B58 describes the examination of specimens to detect carriage of Group B streptococci (GBS). SMI B58 states that it does not seek to contradict clinical guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists or the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or those of the UK National Screening Committee 2012 which did not recommend antenatal screening for GBS.

Streptococcus

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued (a) to ensure that (i) health professionals involved in the care of pregnant women and (ii) pregnant women are informed about group B Streptococcus and (b) on effectiveness of tests used within the NHS to detect carriage of group B Streptococcus.

Ben Gummer: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has produced a Green-top guideline: Prevention of Early-Onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Disease. The Green-top guideline provides guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) disease. The first edition was published in 2003 and the second updated edition was published in 2012. An audit in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and supported by the Royal College of Midwives was recently carried out by the RCOG. It examined current practice in preventing early- onset neonatal GBS disease by investigating the implementation of the RCOG Green-top guideline (2012 edition) and identified key areas for improvement. The first report was published on 5 March 2015 and found that the majority of obstetric units in the United Kingdom have written protocols to prevent early onset GBS disease in newborn babies. However, there is still variation in practice across units. The second report is due to be published later this year. Further information is available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/news/rcog-release-new-audit-into-gbs-finds-variation-in-practice-across-obstetric-units/   In addition the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a clinical guideline which addresses early-onset GBS and other neonatal infections, ‘Antibiotics for early-onset neonatal infection: Antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of early-onset neonatal infection’ (August 2012).The clinical guideline is available at:http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg149   Information on GBS in pregnancy is publically available on the NHS Choices website at:   http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/pregnancy-infections.aspx. The RCOG has also developed public information on early onset GBS:   https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/group-b-streptococcus-gbs-infection-in-newborn-babies/ In June 2015, Public Health England (PHE) published the paper, ‘Enriched culture medium test for group B streptococcus infection: position paper’. The paper concluded that within current accepted clinical guidelines, there are no indications for testing women using enriched culture medium (ECM) methods. Therefore the ECM test has not been introduced into PHE laboratories. The position paper is available on the gov.uk website at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/group-b-streptococcus-infection-enriched-culture-medium-test   UK standards for microbiology investigations B58: Detection of carriage of Group B Streptococci, which was updated in June 2015, is publically available on the gov.uk website at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smi-b-58-processing-swabs-for-group-b-streptococcal-carriage

Mental Health Services: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Child and Adolescent Mental Services inpatient Tier 4 beds were available in each region and in each of the past four years; and what the average waiting time was for such a bed in each such region in each such year.

Alistair Burt: The data requested is not collected in this form.   The new Mental Health Services Dataset will contain measures of waiting times and is expected to begin collecting data from January 2017.

General Practitioners: Income

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between the size of GP surgeries' patient lists and (a) the proportion of their funding and (b) the overall level of funding allocated under the Minimum Price Income Guarantee.

Alistair Burt: Since April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for the commissioning of primary medical services in England.   NHS England made a full assessment of the likely impact of the reductions to the Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG) at practice level. The assessment included the size of the GP practices’ patient lists, the proportion of their funding affected and the overall level of MPIG funding they had been allocated and showed that there is no correlation between receipt of MPIG and size of practice. All sizes of practice receive MPIG.

General Practitioners: Income

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to collect data on the average yearly earnings of GPs employed by the NHS by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Alistair Burt: We are taking steps to make more information available on average earnings of general practitioners (GPs). In September 2014 NHS Employers and the GP Committee of the British Medical Association announced changes to the General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2015/16, including new requirements to publish net earnings. Practices are required to publish by 31 March 2016 mean net earnings that relate to the GMS contract for contractor and salaried GPs in their practice for the period 2014/15.

Mental Health Services: Offences against Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to (a) adult mental health services, (b) child and adolescent mental health services to provide people who are survivors of (i) current and (ii) historic child sexual abuse with therapeutic and other support services in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: No such assessment has been made. However, counselling services should be available as part of the wider mental health provision to support sexually abused children. This Government is committed to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing as a whole, which will also benefit children and young people who have been victims of sexual abuse.  National Health Service funding for mental health services increased by £300 million last year. Historically, treatment targets have only been attached to physical health – a problem the Government is correcting with £1.25 billion announced in the last Budget. This will direct funding to mental health services and will ensure people, including those whose mental health has been affected through sexual abuse, get the treatment they need when they need it.   Our investment to date in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has made a choice of psychological therapies available for those who need them. IAPT include therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to sexual abuse as well as therapies for depression and anxiety disorders which may result from the traumatic of the abuse.  In March 2015, ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ published in March 2015, set out cross-Government actions to prevent child sexual exploitation or, where it has happened, ensure victims and survivors get the support they need. The Department and its arms-length bodies are taking forward the health related recommendations, which focus on improving data on prevalence so that commissioners can develop the local service response to meet local needs.  The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued guidelines on ‘Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): The management of PTSD in adults and children in primary and secondary care’ issued in March 2005, reviewed in December 2011, and ‘Depression in adults: The treatment and management of depression in adults’, published in October 2009. The guidance includes recommendations for the care and treatment of people with psychological and mental health needs arising from sexual abuse.

NHS: Fees and Charges

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his contribution on 16 July 2015, Official Report, column 1112, and with reference to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department in the House of Lords on 9 June 2015, Official Report, column 283, what his policy is on the exploration of alternative charging systems or different funding systems for the NHS; if he will make it his policy not to bring forwards proposals in the present Parliament to (a) introduce and (b) plan for further charging for healthcare or related services currently provided on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government is committed to the fundamental principles, outlined in the NHS Constitution and underpinned by legislation, that the National Health Service provides a comprehensive service available to all, with access based on clinical need not ability to pay, and funded through national taxation.   Rising demands and continued fiscal constraint means that the NHS faces challenges in ensuring that it remains financially sustainable in the future. The Government believes that the answer to these challenges lies in changing the way services are delivered and keeping people well and independent for longer, not in altering the fundamental principles that underpin the NHS.

Hospitals: Working Hours

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the number and proportion of (a) consultants, (b) nurses, (c) physiotherapists, (d) pharmacists, (e) pathologists, (f) phlebotomists, (g) radiographers, (h) porters, (i) receptionists, (j) administrators, (k) health care support workers and (l) discharge service staff in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust and (iv) University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who usually worked on a Wednesday in each of the last five years.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the number and proportion of (a) consultants, (b) nurses, (c) physiotherapists, (d) pharmacists, (e) pathologists, (f) phlebotomists, (g) radiographers, (h) porters, (i) receptionists, (j) administrators, (k) health care support workers and (l) discharge service staff in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust and (iv) University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who usually worked on a Saturday in each of the last five years.

Ben Gummer: The Department has not made any estimate of the number and proportion of different staff groups who usually worked on a Wednesday or Saturday in each of the last five years, in any location.

Carers

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to increase support for (a) people caring for people living with and beyond cancer and (b) other carers.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to support the NHS and local government to work together to improve the identification of (a) people caring for people living with and beyond cancer and (b) other carers and their needs.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to ensure that healthcare professionals identify (a) people caring for people living with and beyond cancer and (b) other carers and signpost them to available services and support.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to support carers who are also in full or part-time employment.

Alistair Burt: The Government recognises the valuable contribution made by carers, many of whom spend a significant proportion of their life providing support to family members or friends. Professionals in health, education, social care and other parts of the community including employers, have a key role to play in identifying and signposting those with caring responsibilities to information, advice and support.   The Care 2014 is a historic step for carers, for the first time putting their rights on the same footing as the people they care for. Under the Care Act, local authorities have an expanded duty to assess carers, removing the previous test of whether they were providing “regular and substantial” care. This is predicted to lead to an additional 360,000 carers a year receiving an assessment by 2018/19. In addition, local authorities are required to ensure that there is a comprehensive information and advice service available to their local population, specifically including carers.   Under the Act, carers’ assessments will include a thorough consideration of the impact a caring role has on a carer’s wellbeing and the outcomes they wish to achieve, including their ability to engage in work, training, education or volunteering. On the basis of these assessments, local authorities will have a duty to meet eligible needs for support (and will also be able to meet needs which are not considered eligible). The Department of Health has provided £104 million of funding to local authorities for additional carer assessment and support in 2015/16.   The Care Act requires National Health Service bodies and local authorities to co-operate with each other in the exercise of their respective functions relevant to care and support, including those relating to carers, so we would expect local authorities and NHS bodies to cooperate in identifying and signposting carers.   In addition, we made it clear in our mandate to NHS England that by 2015, carers looking after friends and family members should routinely have access to information and advice about support available, including respite care. This supports Government investment of £400 million between 2011 – 2015 to improve NHS support for carers and to enable them to take a break from their caring responsibilities.   Support for carers more broadly is integral to the work NHS England is leading to improve the quality of life of people with long term conditions. NHS England published a Commitment to Carers in May 2014 - an action plan with a series of commitments around eight priorities, including raising the profile of carers; person-centred, well-coordinated care, commissioning support and partnership links. NHS England are currently reviewing progress and developing plans for next steps.   The Department of Health has also provided over £2 million in recent years to the professional bodies such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Nursing, as well as Carers UK and the Carers Trust, to develop initiatives to raise awareness of carers among healthcare professionals and to help identify and support carers. Initiatives have included the recruitment of GP carer champions, work with pharmacy organisations to identify carers in pharmacy settings, and to identify more carers through the 2014 flu vaccination campaign.   We recognise that many carers of working age wish to stay in touch with the job market for their financial well-being and to enhance their own lives and the lives of those for whom they care. Many also feel under pressure to give up paid work to care.   On 30 June 2015 the Government extended a right request flexible working arrangements after a 26 weeks’ qualifying period, building on a previous entitlement for some carers. This will help to normalise the kind of flexible working patterns that can help carers balance different responsibilities.   On 13 February the Government launched a joint Department of Health, Government Equality Office and Department for Work and Pensions investment of £1.6 million in pilots in nine local authority areas to explore ways in which people can be supported to combine work and care. Through the scheme, nine pilot areas will explore how professional support, technology, volunteering, informal networks and support from employers can be combined to ease the pressure of caring. This will build on the requirement in the Care Act to consider support for employment as part of an assessment of eligible needs, set out above. More broadly, the Department for Work and Pensions continues to invest in supporting carers to return to work. For example, income replacement benefits help people and households on lower incomes, and include a carer premium, currently £34.60 a week. An equivalent additional amount applies in Pension Credit. Universal Credit will also include a carer element at the rate of £150.39 per monthly assessment period. This means that lower-income carers can be better off than others who receive these benefits.   On 1 July my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr Jeremy Hunt) announced that I will develop a new carers’ strategy that looks at the best of international practice and examines what more we can do to support existing carers and the new carers we will need.